The Problem With Import Guitars

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[larryjeffryes]

What I like about cheap guitars, is that I can change only what matters to me and with my ideal components. And I still haven’t spent as much as a higher trim level that ONLY ALMOST meets my preferences.

[Grili]

My Classic Vibe Strat and my Custom 24 SE have both needed a lot of work, but I don’t mind. They are both totally my own modded beasts, and they are just fun to play. My first mod for all these guitars is the string nut!

[roberthastings]

Hey Dylan, this was a good discussion. I have been aware of a lot of this. You made some good points and offered some good insights. Thank you

[tonkageorge]

I appreciate your take on this topic. I think I’ve only gotten one guitar (Gibson ES-335) that I feel was perfect. Part of the reason I think was that I bought it from Wildwood and they set it up perfectly.

[thseed]

I know, for me, setups and fretwork were intimidating early on. I spent a little bit of money on quality tools and book about doing the work and, now, I comfortably do everything on my own guitars. Think I found your channel a few years ago when I was looking up info on capacitors or wiring for my first home pickup swap.

[dadanardi]

Got two PRS SE, and immediately changed their pickup, one using Seymor Duncan set, and another one Fishman and Fluence classic set. Apart from that both are great guitars.

[henchmusic]

I have a Texas Toast guitar, I also unboxed my Stratosonic the same day you did. They both play great. I'm not versed enough in P-90s to know if these pickups are crap or not. But they ain't single or PAFs or filtertrons. I'm having fun with it anyway. Thanks for the input, and output.

[akdm]

I got the Squier and figured I’d get around to building it into the guitar I really wanted but over time and I like tinkering anyway. I definitely couldn’t get a guitar to that stage and looking that good for anywhere near the price I paid for it. So I’m cool with how it came as it was worth what I paid🙂

[charlesharper]

My Fender Telecaster FMT HH is made in Indonesia. It's a fantastic guitar. If Fender had actually built this guitar I probably wouldn't be able to afford it.

[denverrandy]

Right, like world music, Fujigen, core-tec, cort...I really like Fujigen.Awesome products.

[Markleford]

I'm just gonna say it: A new guitar should NEVER cut you with its fret ends. That shouldn't be a part of "expected setup". I'm fine with feeling them as "rough", but there's pretty much no product in any other market where bloodletting from normal operation is shrugged off as "totally fine, just pay more money to a third-party to not leave bits of finger flesh on the side". Products should meet safety standards during intended use, and if the supply chain potentially requires long waits in dry cargo containers (since we can already assume that the wood wasn't pre-dried) then the fret ends should at least be filed as a precaution.

Sure, I get the environmental factors, but some manufacturers with tight margins will take advantage of the customer's goodwill. This normalizes cut corners (so to speak) in the affordable instrument market.

[seanjoynt]

I really appreciate your channel. I am bias with your channel because I came across a video you did about changing your pots. I recently attended a workshop at TTG and I am putting pickups that I ordered from you in that guitar. Both you and the TTG guys are no nonsense. Both of you offer good business sense if you are willing to listen.

[wesleymorris]

These new import guitars are fantastic, every squire I buy, I love, I bought the new squire contemporary, I bought it for 250 new shipped, the pickups are super hot alnico, I changed the bridge to a Duncan, but everything else on it was perfect, there roasted necks are great.

[josearaujo]

So, the electronics in American made guitars are not Imports? American guitars wood are not imported and do not American factories build to price first? Its all the same stuff, import or not import, what does it matter? There are import guitars specd the same has american ones, people just don't pay the premium.

[guycewilkerson]

Personally, I like some imperfections, (as long as it doesn’t effect playability) because the imperfections make the guitar unique. The factory may have made thousands of a particular model, but mine is the only one that has this spot in this particular place.

[onlyguitars]

I have 2 imports right now a PRs PAul's guitar sE and a Cort G290 FAT II.

The PRS is great, playability is reall really good as soon as I got it. Would change tuners, knobs, pickups and electronics. With all those changes I think vs my Core PRS's really overall really close.

the Cort I love it as well. also arrived great. Cort builds everyones guitars almost, lol, so I'm sure thir own guitars they can extract even more for the money, so this punches above its price for sure.

And I agree, setup is a MUST to really have a good understanding of the guitar. I will take a cheap guitar well setup over an expensive guitar badly setup any day. After that you will see for real the full potential of the guitar.

[wesleymorris]

Every guitars uses some import parts, the pots and caps and wire, are made over seas, don't matter what company, the knobs are made over seas the dots, the inlays, no company makes every part for there guitars, the screws. Most tuners are made over seas.

[akdm]

I bought a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Strat and it rattled when I got it, though I know that Sweetwater inspects them. Instead of returning it, I took the pick guard off and found a broken off chunk of solder that must have fallen off during shipping. I just took it out, inspected everything and it was all good otherwise, so I kept it. The next one I got if I had exchanged it might have been worse. 🙂

[matthewdeheus]

Almost all new guitars need work in my experience. I also explain to my customers that there is setting a guitar up and there is dialing one in, which is going to probably take several iterations.

[awjs]

If you try 10 made in Mexico strats/teles at a guitar store you will likely find one that you'll like more than the others. Even though they have the similar price point, the one you choose will have more value to you. Searching through the bell curve will give you the diamond in the rough and better value for money. It's about the specific guitar and not "import guitars" as a class.